


Auri so Strange

by starreru



Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: Au Ra, F/M, Silly, female au ra, romantic hints, terrible attempts at humor
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-09-18
Updated: 2015-09-18
Packaged: 2018-04-21 09:13:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,939
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4823396
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/starreru/pseuds/starreru
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Now living at Camp Dragonhead until allowed into Ishgard, the Warrior of Light does her best to make cozy, but after Yugiri departs it's a bit hard when she's the only Au Ra in the whole camp. It's time to teach a certain Elezen and his knights a thing or two about the Au Ra, even if she might not want to.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Auri so Strange

**Author's Note:**

> It's been a very long time since I've written a fanfiction, so I apologize not only if it's a bit clunky as I get back into it and if the characters feel too... out of character. I try my best to keep true to them as possible. Ahhh! I can't believe I managed to post this, I feel so shy.
> 
> This is in First-Person view, and of course made with the mind that the WOL is a Fem!Auri. I'm sorry if that's a bit limiting! >_

The winds of Coerthas were a biting cold; it pierces through me before we neared the ground. I glanced at Cid, who was doing his best to pilot through the protesting weather; he must have been freezing in that short-sleeve top of his.

“I fear I can’t bring her any closer to the ground than this. Seven Hells… Are you alright to make the jump?”

With a nod, he did his best to steady the Enterprise and I jumped into the snow below with a powdery ‘puff’ that was instantly carried away by the harsh winds. I looked to Alphinaud, who looked a little less thrilled about the far jump, but I held my arms out to him. Not necessarily to catch him outright, unless that’s what he wanted.

He made a face at me, then finally jumped. His arms caught mine, helping him from sinking into the snow. “You guys should hurry out of the storm, I’m sorry I couldn’t drop you any closer. I’ll keep in touch.” With the winds aiding him, Cid swiftly departed into the air, and he was a dot in the clouds before I looked to the young elezen. I took note of him in that moment. Standing frigid in the snow, his mind else where. I'm sure he was feeling the sting as much as I.

Alphinaud was startled when he felt my heavy cloak engulf him, and he peered up at me from under the hood. I furrowed my brows at him, and that seemed to silence any protests he was mustering the willpower to give.

While Cid couldn’t bring us to it’s doorstep, the trek to Camp Dragonhead was a rather straight path, though the fact that it was downhill and then uphill and we were in the middle of a blizzard… as if things couldn’t get any better. I made Alphinaud walk in front of me, to keep an eye on him and to keep him from seeing the state I was in. Bottling everything up was my forte, but the howling winds mirrored my mood all too well.

The few tears in my eyes freeze to lashes before they have the chance to touch my face. What should have been no more than a half hour’s tread has felt like more than two hours. The sky was growing dark when we arrived, but winter was a season with it’s own rules. I tried to keep my tail moving as much as possible, but frost seems to have settled between scales, and I mentally curse my genetics in not being a miqo’te.

This was much how I felt after Shiva, but when she was laid low the storm had passed. I honestly don’t know how I kept moving, and Alphinaud was little better than I. I thought us lost at one point, betrayed by the weather, until the faint orange flicker of fire pierced the dark air. Finally, some respite after this--quite frankly--horribly shitty turn of events.

As we approached the light, voices called out before two tall elezen knights of the camp ran forward. “Ser Leveilleur! The Warrior of Light!” The one swiftly took to Alphinaud's side while the other came to mine. “W-we must sp-speak with L-Lord Haurchefant…” They didn’t question how or why we were coming from the direction we were, instead guiding us through the camp. “We will take you to the Intercessory immediately.”

The knight standing guard exchanged some words, and left to get the lord while Alphinaud and I went inside. The warmth was almost too overwhelming, and I wondered if we looked just as frozen as we felt. Alphinaud’s ears, I notice, are slightly tinged purple on the ends as the knight from before removes the frozen cloak. Aside from the shivering, he doesn’t seem to notice. The one at my side spoke up, “Feel free to make yourselves comfortable, I’m sure that’s what Lord Haurchefant would say.” He passed a fleeting smile and departed, the other leaving as well, leaving Alphinaud and I in silence. I was shuddering underneath my clothing and armor, but Alphinaud was like a wet kitten with how hard he was trembling despite his efforts. I put a hand to his shoulder and walked him over toward the fire, and we stood in what felt like an eternity in our thoughts before the doors opened once again.

The soft, quick footsteps of none other than Tataru approached and she flung herself at Alphinaud’s legs. “Tataru, you’re alright.” “I-I was so-so worried about you guys!!” I tilted my head slightly with a weak smile, before surprise set in at the other who had entered. “Yugiri, your mask.” Her and I had many conversations in the past about this, even though I assumed most everyone knew her secret from being around me. I didn’t pry it.

“Lost in a skirmish, nothing worth worrying about.” She softly smiled at me, and I gave a nod.

“Wh-what happened? Where is everyone? Why-why did they turn on us?” Tears shone in her eyes, Alphinaud giving her a pained look. Before we could say anything, the two knights from before came in with blankets and spare, loose clothing in tow. “Forgive us, the weather makes even moving about the camp difficult. Lord Haurchefant will be arriving shortly, but you should warm yourselves first.”

“Lest you worry him more than he already is, though I doubt that very much.” The one chuckled, passing the pair of us the clothing. They gave a salute and departed swiftly. “I will explain once Lord Haurchefant arrives.” Alphinaud gave the small lalafell the best smile he could muster, but it was weak with his mood. She gave a worried nod, but pressed no more and sat on one of the chairs.

“W-Well… I will change over there.” He ushered to the partition that separated out a small office space, and I nod with a shiver. When he disappears behind it, Yugiri comes over and helps my trembling hands with my armor, and Tataru seems to also think it a good idea. They begin fussing and pulling and I stumble a bit on rigid, cold legs. They’ve managed to get me out of my boots and undershirt before the doors suddenly burst open. “My friends!” Haurchefant has a worried look on his face, but I barely see it when I jolt in the other direction, Yugiri swiftly saved me mostly from embarrassment by acting as a shield. “My lord, we’re not… done here.” I hear him move out of sight behind the partition. “M-My apologies.”

They let me finish changing myself before Tataru moves the chair she was occupying closer and makes me sit, Yugiri wrapping one of the blankets around me. “You can come out now!” Tataru spreads her arms as Alphinaud emerges with the blanket engulfing him and a steaming mug in hand. He put it down on the table as Haurchefant put one in front of me, and I can slowly smell the cocoa through a slightly runny nose. “Forgive my urgency. Pray, tell me what happened… if you feel comfortable doing so.”

I cannot say anything. I cannot say how the world seemed to still, and I couldn’t move, and when I finally do everything begins to move too fast. It blurred so hard it made my head spin, yet I could remember every detail like I had stood still for hours. The faces, the words, the emotions. I cannot say, but when Alphinaud gives me a look, I give him a nod, giving him all the strength I have left in me.

It doesn’t take long to explain the story, but his quiet voice made the room feel all too consuming, and by the end of it Haurchefant is pensive, bordering on anger, Tataru is on the verge of crying, and Yugiri is standing silently. When he finishes, it’s the auri’s turn to speak up. “I will go, my men and I can find anything, and I will let you know as soon as I do.”

“Wait.” The older elezen stood, “Full aware I am at your urgency, but at least wait until the light. It’s dangerous to tread the weather when it’s this dark.” She’s surprised at him, but sighs and nods, easing his worries, “My home is your home. You certainly need tonight to rest after everything that’s happened, and you had to walk through the storm. You may regroup here in the morning with fresh minds.”

“You’re most generous, Lord Haurchefant.” Alphinaud responded with a relieved smile, though it was still bogged down.

“Think nothing of it, it’s what friends would do, no?” He smiles, “Are you hungry? Or would you like to retire for the night?”

Alphinaud wishes to retire, or retreat is the word I think he wants to use, Tataru is cheerful but has exhausted herself from crying. My stomach growls before I can say, leaving me red as Haurchefant laughs slightly. “I can see what your answer is.” He departs with Alphinaud and Tataru.

“Are you alright?” Yugiri’s voice is gentle, almost motherly, and I grip the cocoa mug for extra heat. Am I fine? It’s hard to say, I feel quite numb, shock keeping me from the overwhelming emotions that threaten. I can’t bring myself to say the memories aloud.

Her hand finds my back. “Don’t force it, I dare not ask you to recite what you saw until you are ready.” I am thankful for Yugiri's presence. I stand and move to the fire, tentatively moving my tail around toward the heat. It feels more like a frozen log than a tail right now. Yugiri can't help but smile at that. "At least there's no risk of frost bite to the tail."

Haurchefant returns with a generously large bowl, and when he places it in my hand I can practically feel myself drool at the sight. It's a hearty stew, a familiar smell, a trademark meal of the camp. Just as I begin to dig in, Yugiri stands and bows lightly. "I'm going to speak with some of my men before we rest. Sleep well." And with that, she departs out of the Intercessory before I can get a word out, leaving me with the tall elezen. 

He passes me a look. "Would you mind the company?" Of course not, if anything, I don't really want to be alone, even now it's hard to keep my mind focused on the moment. He grabs one of the chairs and moves it next to me before retrieving another. I don't sit down quite yet, instead continue to thaw myself while eating.

"Must be quite a pain, having a tail. My ears are long, but easy to cover in most circumstances… I have always felt sorry for the miqo'te that passed through here, and for you every time you graced us." I blush lightly at that last comment. It gives me a level of balance over that of the other non-tailed races. But yes, there didn't really exist a sort of 'sock' or covering for tails, since everyone else was a miqo'te and didn't need it. He laughed at that. "Perhaps you should make one."

He is chatting with me long after I've finally sat and finished eating, distracting me with funny stories of things that happened around the camp since the last time I was present. I pulled my knees up and set my cheek on them as I listened to him talk, huddled under the blanket. Today was tragic, but somehow in this moment, it has been pushed to the corners of my mind.

**Author's Note:**

> This story is going to make use of some head canons I have regarding Au Ra, which will be revealed as it goes on. Thank you for reading!


End file.
